The Fairfolk Empire
From the sneaky Sluagh to the strong Ogres or the elegant Sidhe, all loyal fairfolk pay allegiance to the great Fairfolk Empire and one of it’s five Noble Houses. Though each house has a culture in and of itself, each race also has its own cultural ties, leading to quite the melting pot of individuals in any given location within the Silva’natu forests. It is not unknown for individuals to trade between houses, though only Sidhe can do so entirely of their own free will. This discrepancy in freedom is due to the roles each of the fairfolk plays in Silva’natu society. The Ogres, bred to be the perfect strongmen, serve as the builders and soldiers of the Empire, defending the other races with their valiant shields and walls. The Sluagh, born to be the spies and assassins of the Empire, none able to strike supernatural terror into their enemies quite like them. And both these “lesser fairfolk” serve humbly under the Sidhe, natural-born speakers and leaders who have led the fairfolk houses since arriving on this world from their former home in the Dream. Social Structure of the Empire 4 Major Houses rule their respective territories and follow their own goals, all swearing allegiance to the 5th and most powerful House, House Somnia. Each Major House is ruled by a Lord or Lady (who's children are Princes and Princesses), and rules over many Minor Houses who are constantly vying for power amongst each other, whether that be through marriage, trade, espionage, advancements in magic, or even assassinations. House Somnia, however, was ruled by the Emperor (who's children are Crown Princes and Crown Princesses) Even the Minor Houses are divided into towns ruled by Barons, Dukes, Counts and all other array of Noble title and station that states their relative power over other minor houses and lands, who are often Princes and Princesses who have been promoted (though are sometimes simply key Sidhe attendants who have proven themselves worthy) by the Minor or Major House in charge of the respvecte town. Though one of the best ways to gain power as a Minor House is to gain favour with one of the Major Houses, just as the Major Houses seek to gain favour with House Somnia. House Somnia The ruling house and the royal line, all other houses obey the will and goals of the Somnias and many will try to win enough favour to join their court. Their province of Sujera is said to be home to the most lush greenery in of all of Silva'natu, and their capital city of Levant is known to all of Haven as the Fairfolk seat of power. Though their goals focus primarily on keeping peace among the Fairfolk, they are not afraid to make themselves heard when a noble is giving the Empire a bad name through anything from simply romantically courting outside of the fairfolk race (once thought disgraceful for all fairfolk, though now only nobles) to outright treasonous acts. Until recently, House Somnia was ruled over by the benevolent Emperor Dae'avel Somnia, the longest-lived fairfolk after his late mother and adopted son of the former Empress Brea Somnia, who was herself once thought to be immortal due to her extraordinarily long life and immeasurable skill with magic. After her husband's death by natural causes, Lady Runa Somnia has assumed the throne as Empress. Under her are her children, the houses 3 heirs. These heirs are Royal Crown Prince Adrius Heimus Somnia, who is the eldest child in his early 40s and current heir to the throne, Crown Princess Saria Fons Somnia, the middle child in her late 30s, and Crown Prince Cassius Somnia - the youngest of Dae'avels children in his early 30s, named for an old friend of the late Emperor Somnia, Lord Caeus Herena. House Serta Headed by Lady Karia'san Vallius Serta, House Serta is widely respected as the military might of the five major houses. Their province of Battala borders both the Erac'sen Desert to the south and Fhomnair plains to the west, with influence as far north as southern Compass Rose, though their actual territory does not extend so far. As within much of the empire, the Sidhe make up much of the house's command structure, serving as tacticians, generals, and battlefield commanders of the lesser fairfolk, which make up the bulk of the House's lower ranks. Ogres typically fill the rank of general infantry, their hearty constitution and unerring dedication to a given task being perfect for open battle. Sluagh, on the other hand, make up Serta's special operations divisions, using their natural stealth to operate behind enemy lines to cripple their supply structure and disrupt order with guerrilla tactics and sabotage. In recent years, House Serta's prominence in imperial politics has fallen off somewhat after Emperor Dae'avel's rule brought many of the empire's major conflicts to an end, reducing the need for large standing armies. Despite what some might try to spin as a fall from grace, Lady Karia has taken her house's transformation in stride, and now styles both herself and her people as proud defenders of the realm, whos watchful gaze protects the empire's borders from raiders and bandits. House Cirkaan Scholarly pursuits and near-constant research fill the daily life of the people of House Cirkaan, whose dedication to the miracle-working art of theurgy can occasionally be all-consuming, literally, in some dire cases. Among the greatest of the House's theurges is Lord Eltarien Samedi Dalius El Cirkaan. Not one for mincing words, Lord Eltarian is considered to be the ultimate authority on ritual circles within the empire, having spent many of his eighty years on Haven within the magically sealed walls of Cirkaan's capitol city of Grecale, poring over ancient tomes in the House's Great Library, considered by many to be the greatest collection ever assembled by mortal hands, as well as a great many more working in the field with circles across Haven. In spite of their Lord's reputation, however, not all of the minor houses under House Cirkaan are dedicated entirely to theurgy. Each specializes in their own brand of knowledge, with their members often becoming loremasters in their own right. While some houses may demand strict adherence to the family craft, others might simply preach that the pursuit of knowledge is most fruitful when driven by passion, rather than tradition. With all of this in mind, it should come as no surprise that the vast majority of Cirkaan's subjects are predominantly followers of Sensus; though devotion to the other gods is by no means discouraged, as each path can be enlightening in its own right. House Finien As its mercantile headquarters, House Finien acts as the empire's open hand, reaching out to the other races of Haven to build the Empire's economy through trade. Unfortunately, House Finien suffered the loss of its Lord, who named his youngest daughter as his successor. Lady Willow Akasha Finien, who at only age twenty has no children of her own, has set her sights on building a new golden age of trade within and around the empire and has already proven her unwillingness to let her elders discredit her abilities based on her age, especially when the criticism comes from Lord Cirkaan. While she may be inexperienced, and her tactics imperfect, she has shown that her bold and demanding style of economics is worth pursuing, as trade with other powers continues to grow within the empire. Somewhat unrelated to Lady Willow herself, but nonetheless a contributor to her success is House Finien's limited control over the Town of Compass Rose which, while technically an independent state, serves as an active trade route from Finien's central province of Ventora to the rest of Haven, with the equally trade-focused human city of Ponente. House Harena